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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Josh Salisbury,Rachael Burford and Jacob Phillips

Budget 2024 LIVE: Chancellor has ‘national credit card maxed out’ amid 70-year high tax burden, Labour says

Sir Keir Starmer has rubbished Jeremy Hunt’s spring Budget as the “last desperate act” of the “failed” Conservatives as he says the UK is shouldering the highest tax burden in 70 years.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed a 2p cut in National Insurance in his Budget speech to MPs and set out a series of measures aimed at helping hard-pressed households, including freezing fuel duty and extending the “temporary” 5p cut for a further year.

He also said alcohol duty would be frozen until February 2025.

To help pay for personal tax cuts, Mr Hunt announced he will abolish the controversial non-dom status, which he said will generate £2.7billion.

But Labour leader Sir Keir told the Commons: “There we have it – the last desperate act of a party that has failed.

“Britain in recession, the national credit card maxed out, and, despite the measures today, the highest tax burden for 70 years.”

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